Friday, February 17, 2017

I am a chailer - a critical hailer - not a wailer like yourself and a few others, for who the sky is always falling, and are constantly looking for a scorpion under every rock.

The last time I commented, you stated that I did not give solutions to my critique. I re-stated them - or clarified - but typical of your ilk, you clammed up - but thankfully others read them.

Is the country where it should be after two years? Absolutely not, but that is a result of legacy problems, international pressures, delayed/indecisive policies of the government as well as ACTIVE sabotage (or un-enlightened self-interest) by those who have both stocks of Naira and Dollars hidden in various places around the country - including in shanties in Kaduna and elsewhere. It is the inability of the government to HOLISTICALLY shut down these kinds of torrid discoveries of corruption - some of which MUST still be continuing as we speak, but maybe in lesser amounts - that is galling.

As I wrote in my last piece, corruption may still win this battle, the way the Government is waging it...but we shall see.

(1) Are "bullet-proof tyres" necessary? I presume that they are - for some security purposes - but the political "supporter" will give the benefit of the doubt, while the inverterate political "opposer" might be skeptical, even cynical of its necessity.

(2) What vehicles will they be used on, and how many tyres

(i) were bought in previous years

(ii) are to be bought this year, and why?

(3) What are the unit costs of these tyres:

(i) as delivered, if they are made in Nigeria? Probably not.

(ii) as delivered, if they are to be imported from abroad.?

If imported from abroad, I usually go to "Amazon.com" to get an idea of cost - but not dice. So I went to Alibaba.com:

N94m bullet-proof tyres for Buhari, others

The Federal Government plans to spend N94.5 million on bullet-proof tyres for President Muhammadu Buhari and others this year, State House Permanent Secretary Jalal A. Arabi has said.

Canteen and kitchen equipment will cost N100.8 million.

These are part of the breakdown of the State House budget presented by Arabi to the Senate Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs.

The number of treated (bulletproof) tyres that will be bought with N94.5 million was, however, not specified.

Arabi told the committee that N94.5 million (50% of the actual sought for in 2016) is proposed for this year.

The amount is expected to address the shortfall and complement the requirement of "the sector which are mostly treated tyres procured at exorbitant price".

On why the tyres should be bought at "exorbitant price", Arabi explained that "some of the tyres being purchased are actually treated (bulletproof)" and hence constituted the bulk of the purchase cost.

For canteen and kitchen equipment, Arabi said N100.8 million was provided in the 2017 budget.

He added: "This amount is principally the unreleased appropriation for 2016, which was the unpaid balance in 2015 for contracts awarded and executed. The sum of N80.2million appropriated in 2016 has up to this moment not been released hence its rollover and inclusion in 2017."

Arabi noted that it was important to mention that the proposal covered kitchen equipment in the main residence, VP's residence, banquet hall, State House medical centre, State House auditorium and 22 guest houses.

On electricity charges, he said N45.3 million was approved in the last year's budget.

The State House's electricity bill for 2016, according to Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), was N252 million. Another outstanding liability of over N300 million for State House, Lagos facilities.

Arabi noted that the provision in the 2016 budget could not accommodate the outstanding liability.

He said the management of the State House was forced to install meters in 2016 to ensure proper billing "and that was what reduced the bill to a reasonable figure".

Arabi said that since the bills were subject of reconciliation "we have made a modest provision of the sum of N319.6 million for 2017 to settle current and part of outstanding bills as noted above".

The committee chairman, Senator Tijjani Kaura said the State House Medical Centre should be properly funded as it does not serve the Presidential Villa alone, but provides services for outsiders.